June 8th Dave vanderLaan, Little Bird, Grand Rapids

Dave vanderLaan hails from Normal, Illinois, but family & college brought him to West Michigan. He started his first kitchen job at 16 and there’s been no looking back since. At the age of 23, Dave was promoted to Executive Chef at Bar Divani in downtown Grand Rapids. It was his time there that really sparked his love for creating delicious & unique dishes. 

Dave has worked in a variety of kitchens, learning from brilliant chefs, honing his craft, and devouring cookbooks, hungry to learn all he can. He joined Littlebird in March 2017 as a Line Cook, and became co-Chef in May 2020, and then Chef in late 2023. Dave is a champion of year-round fermentation & preservation, and a higher-minded approach to local sourcing and culinary ingenuity.

In his free time, Dave enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, watching sports (Go Cubs!), and spending time with his family.